News

Who really killed JFK? Why does the water taste funny? What goes on at Area 51? Paranoia is justified in movie classics about nefarious plots reaching to the highest levels of government, church or corporation. Many are allegories, others play upon our wildest fantasies, while some are true-to-life depictions of historical events.

Nearly 10 weeks after Hurricane Dorian struck North Carolina’s coast, Ocracoke Island is still under an evacuation order blocking visitors and tourism. On Monday, Nov. 11, the Hyde County Board of Commissioners agreed to allow visitors starting Nov. 22, which is the same day the island’s main road is expected to reopen. 

The U.S. Department of State has a long history of utilizing cultural “people-to-people” diplomacy to advance national interests. One of those programs sends hip-hop artists all over the world to engage in artistic exchange.

Avery Greer knows what it is like to feel like a suspect in her own town. Greer, the central character in Megan Miranda’s new novel, lives in a coastal community in Maine, and when her best friend commits suicide, some people begin to suspect she had something to do with the death.

She eventually uncovers a critical clue that could counter the police narrative, and starts on a quest to clear her name and seek justice for her best friend.
 

Ricky Moore has been chasing taste for his entire life. He moved around a lot as a child because of his father’s military career, but when he was 11, his family settled back to Eastern North Carolina, in New Bern. He was surrounded by family, friends and country cooking.

The most powerful politician in North Carolina was accused of misusing campaign funds this week.

But Phil Berger's staff says this is much ado about nothing, and that the Republican from Rockingham County has twice received approval.

Mitch Kokai, of the John Locke Foundation, and Rob Schofield, of NC Policy Watch, review whether or not what Berger did should be illegal. And they also provide thoughts on the latest layer of drama within the UNC System.

Legislators met this week to tackle the task of redrawing congressional maps. The first meeting determined Republicans want to use the maps created for the advocacy group Common Cause North Carolina, while Democrats want to start from scratch. A three-judge panel ruled last week that the gerrymandered districts be redrawn in time for the 2020 election.

A teenage girl’s most intimate space is her bedroom. It is a place where she figures out who she is and tries on new identities. As Lebanese-American photographer Rania Matar watched her own daughters become teenagers, she became increasingly curious about the magic of that space.

Thomas Taylor Jr. is fostering an appreciation of jazz legends like John Coltrane and Thelonious Monk among the state’s underground hip-hop scene.

The professor of percussion at North Carolina Central University sees North Carolina’s long history in blues and jazz as a natural foundation for today’s emcees. In his classes, Taylor invites aspiring rappers to improvise with him in front of the class — him on the drums, them with their words. Two students from that course now freestyle with him regularly.

We've teamed up with Come Hear NC on a podcast series that explores North Carolina music one song at a time. This week we've got MC Taylor of Hiss Golden Messenger telling us about why he loves 'Traveling Alone' by Tift Merritt - the title track from her 2012 record.

Here's a video of MC Taylor performing 'Traveling Alone' at the North Carolina Art Museum in 2017.

A top contender for the Democratic presidential nomination made a campaign stop in Raleigh last night.

U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren energized a capacity crowd at Broughton High School with an unabashedly populist message.

Jack Klatt grew up in Minnesota. As a teenager, his musical tastes took him from The Clash, to Bob Marley and Woody Guthrie.  You can hear some of that in the songs from his new record 'It Ain't The Same.'

Ahead of his show at Cat's Cradle on November 9th, Klatt chatted with WUNC Morning Edition Host Eric Hodge about the new record. He talked about the process of recording the album, one that's a bit more produced than his previous work.

When scholar Kate Bowler went to an evangelical bible camp at the age of 14, she was confronted with a new take on what it means to be a Christian: girls should submit and focus their energy on becoming good wives and mothers. Bowler pushed back against this philosophy.

A lawyer connected to some members of the University of North Carolina Board of Governors misrepresented his connection to powerful people in state government for access to the damaging video footage of former East Carolina University interim chancellor Dan Gerlach.

Traffic moved slowly but orderly through Pittsboro, in Chatham County, on a recent day. Karen Howard, the driver, reached the traffic circle that can't be avoided. It's the circle around the Old Chatham courthouse.

Oberlin Village is an important part of Raleigh’s history — but there is not much of the historic African American community left.

Lawmakers in the North Carolina General Assembly have begun redrawing congressional districts again. 

Republican U.S. Rep. Mark Walker is in his third term representing what is currently known as the 6th District. The boundaries have already shifted several times since he first took office. 

Walker talks about the frustrations of constant redistricting, why he joined a protest against the impeachment inquiry process, and why he's pushing to let college athletes get paid.